Seals are used in conjunction with pipe and flange assemblies, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,056,830 and 5,209,522 to Reaux. Prior art seals can be subject to failure as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,522 to Reaux at column 1, lines 16–23. Additionally, such seals are often used in the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas, commonly referred to as “sour gas.” Prior art seals have been subject to deterioration in a sour gas environment.
It is also desirable in certain applications, to use such sealing arrangements with thin walled pipe. Prior art seals can cause the buckling of thin wall pipe, due to excessive rigidity. The present invention also provides a seal for use with a pipe and flange assembly that will have an improved lifetime in a sour gas environment as compared to prior art seals, and be less prone to cause the buckling of thin walled pipe than prior art seals.